Article feeding mechanism with separator means actuated by feeding means



H. BAKER FEEDING Oct. 27, 1953 2,657,049

ARTICLE MECHANISM WITH SEPARATOR MEANS ACTUATED BY FEEDING MEANS FiledJune 20, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

HARP) BAKE? M KM Oct. 27, 1953 V H. BAKER 2,657,049

ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM WITH SE ATOR MEANS ACTUATED BY FEEDING MEFiled June 20, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Oct. 27, 1953 H. BAKERARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM WITH SEPARATOR MEANS ACTUATED BY FEEDING MEANS7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 20, 1949 INVENTOR. HAPPY BAKfE BY m 17% ATTOE/VEYJ Oct. 27, 1953 H. BAKER 2, ,0 ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM WITHSEPARATOR MEANS ACTUATED BY FEEDING MEANS Filed June 20, 1949 7 SheetsSheet 4 o INVENTOR.

HARRY 5mm? "M 55%:

147'70E/VE 5 Oct. 27," 1953 H. BAKER 2,657,049

- ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM WITH SEPARATOR MEANS ACTUATED BY FEEDINGMEANS Filed June 20, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR. #1??? Y BA KEEOct. 27, 1953 H. BAKER 2,657,049

ARTICLE FEEDING MEC ISM WITH SEPARATOR MEANS ACTUATED FEEDING MEANSFiled June 20, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. EB 514K516 LM iflo Dem-0.

4 TTOE/V K5 Oct. 27, 1953 H. BAKER 2,657,049

ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM WITH SEPARATOR MEANS ACTUATED BY FEEDING MEANSFiled June 20, 1949 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 5 &

2 Q )Q F o o INVENTOR.

HARRY BAKE/Q "M arr/QM A r TOE/VEKS Patented Oct. 27, 1953 ARTICLEFEEDING MECHANISM WITH SEP- ARATOILMEAN S ACTUATED BY FEEDING MEANSHarry Baker, Wentworth ada, assignor to Ameri York, N. Y.,

County, Ontario, Cancan Can Company, New a corporation of New JerseyApplication June 20, 1949, Serial No. 100,281

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a mechanism for feeding articles suchas flat sheets individually from a stack of such sheets and hasparticular reference to a portable mechanism which may be readilyattached to and operated by a machine for performing an operation uponthe sheets advanced by the mechanism.

An object of the invention is the provision of an article feedingmechanism which is compact and self-contained as a portable unit so thatit may be readily attached to a more elaborate machine for performingoperations upon a fed article and may be just as readily detached topermit the use of the machine for other purposes which do not requirethe use of the feeding mechanism.

Another object is the provision in such a feeding mechanism of simplereciprocable devices which control the separation of the articles bygripper means and advance the separated articles into the subsequentoperation machine in time with the operation of the machine.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a feedingmechanism wherein gripper means separate individual articles from astack of articles and bring them into the control of a reciprocatingfeed for advancement, the latter feed having means for actuating saidgripper means in timed relation.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a side view of a machine having attached to it a portableand removable sheet feeding mechanism embodying the instant invention;with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the feeding mechanism shown inFig. l, with parts broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged combination top plan view of the feeding deviceand section through a portion of the machine as taken substantiallyalong the broken line 3-3 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along the line 44in Fig. 3, with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken substantially along the line 55 inFig. 3, with parts broken away;

Figs. 6 and 7 are schematic views illustrating principal parts of themechanism as disclosed in Fig. 4 and showing these parts in differentpositions as an incident to separating a sheet from a stack and feedingit into the machine, with parts broken away; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged side elevation of the feeding mechanism as viewedfrom the side opposite to that shown in Fig. l, with parts broken away.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention thedrawings illustrate a sheet feeding mechanism A (Fig. 1) detachablymounted on a conventional punch press B for the purpose of feeding froma stack C, flat metallic sheets D, such as scroll shear blanks or otherirregular or regular shaped blanks. The sheets D fed from the stack Care advanced individually into the punch press B and positioned betweena lower stationary die E and a movable upper punch F for stamping a canpart or other article from the sheets.

The lower stationary die E is bolted to a bolster plate G secured to thebed of the press. The upper movable punch F is carried in a verticallyreciprocable punch head 1-! which operates in a slideway J formed in thepress frame. The head is reciprocated in the usual manner through arotatable crankshaft K.

The feeding mechanism A comprises a hollow rectangular shaped frame II(Figs. 1 and 5) which is disposed adjacent the lower stationary die Eand which is detachably bolted to the bolster plate G. The major portionof the frame II extends outwardly beyond and overhangs the bolsterplate. The frame ll surrounds and supports a slide plate or carriage I2(Figs. 2, 3 and 5) which is disposed in a position parallel with thebolster plate G of the press B and which is reciprocable toward and awayfrom the lower stationary die E.

The slide plate I2 rests on two pairs of support rollers I3, located onepair on each side of the frame and mounted on short pins I4 secured inthe frame. The rollers operate in guide grooves I 5 formed in the bottomof the plate and extending longitudinally thereof. The grooves are substantially the same width as the rollers so as to guide the plate in astraight line path of travel during its reciprocation.

Two top rollers I6, disposed one on each side of the frame I I, roll onraised runways I l formed on the slide plate I2 above and opposite thegrooves I5 and thus retain the plate in contact with the lower rollersI3 against vertical displacement. These top rollers I6 are mounted onshort pins I8 secured in the frame II (Fig. 2).

Reciprocation of the slide plate I2 is effected in time with the punchhead H of the press B, the slide being moved through a forward or sheetfeeding stroke during the up or return travel of the punch head H, andthrough a back or return stroke during the down or working travel of thepunch head. For this purpose the punch head H carries a bracket 2i (allfigures) having an upright rack 22 which meshes with a gear 23 mountedon the outer end of a gea shaft 24 which extends across the frame Habove the slide plate I2 and. which is rotatably supported in bearingblocks 25 bolted to the frame.

Hence as the punch head H moves up and down, it raises and lowers therack 22 and this rotates the gear 23, first in one direction and then inthe opposite direction. This rotation of the gear is utilized toreciprocate the slide plate l2 and is transmitted to the plate by a pairof spaced actuating gears 21 which are mounted on the gear shaft 24. Theactuating gears 21 mesh with a pair of racks 28 formed in the forward orinner portions of the runways ll of the slide plate not engaged by thetop rollers [6. It is through this gear connection with the punch head Ethat the slide plate is reciprocated in timed relation. The gears 21 arelocated directly above the forward plate supporting rollers l3 as bestshown in Fig. 2, and thus retain the slide plate against verticaldisplacement, these rollers 13 at the same time serving as backing-uprollers for the gears.

Backlash between the gears 21 and the racks 23 is absorbed by acompression spring 29 in-- terposed between the frame [I and a dependinglug on the slide plate l2. The spring is wrapped around a rod 30 one endof which is fixed in the frame H and the other end slidably carried inthe depending lug. This pro- Vides for smooth operation of the slideplate 12.

The stack from which the sheets D are to be fed individually is locatedin a substantially upright position above the slide plate l2 as bestshown in Figs. 1, 4 and 8. The stack is retained in a magazine 3|comprising a plurality of spaced and parallel upright guides 32 i (see.also Fig. 3) which extend down into and are anchored in a hollowmagazine 33 disposed across the top of the frame I l and bolted thereto.The stack C is vertically supported in the magazine 3| by a plurality ofserrated members 35 (Figs. 2, 3, 4 and which are secured to the innerface of the magazine base 33 and are located adjacent the terminal endsof the guides 32. These serrated members 35 frictionally engage againstand grip the edges of the lowermost individual sheets D in the stack Cand thus support the entire stack.

Preparatory to feeding the sheets D from the stack 0 to the press B, thesheets are individually separated from the bottom of the stack. Thisseparation is brought about by a vertically movable suction cup orgripper member 31 (Figs. 2, 3, i, 5, 6 and 7) which is located directlyunder the stack. This suction cup is secured by a hollow screw 38 to asquare vacuum or gripper head 39 which is located in a vertical slideway4| formed in a stationary block 42 of the frame II. The block 42 isformed integrally with the frame and. extends up through an opening 43(see Fig. 3) in the middle of the slide plate l2.

The vacuum head 39 is formed on a depending stem 44 (Fig. 4) whichextends down through and projects beyond a bearing sleeve 45 secured inthe block 42. The lower end of 4 the stem 44 is secured to a flexibletube 46 which leads to any suitable source of vacuum. The tubecommunicates with a channel 41 formed in the stem 44 and the vacuum head39 and this channel communicates with the cup 31 through its hollowscrew 38. A vacuum is continuously drawn on the channel 41. A vent port48 in the stem 44 just below the lower end of the bearing sleeve 45 isprovided to break the vacuum in the cup 31 when required.

The vacuum head 39 and its cup 3? are raised and lowered. toward andaway from the stack C in time with the movement of the slide plate lZtoseparate the sheets D individually from the stack. This is brought aboutby a pair of spaced and parallel plate cams 5! which are disposed in theopening in the slide plate l2 and located one on each side of the vacuumhead 39. These cams are secured to the slide plate l2 and move with theplate. 'The plate cams 5| are formed with identical irregular openings52 defined by inclined upper cam edges or surfaces 53 and inclined lowercam edges or surfaces 5 1. These cam edges are engaged by cam rollers 55disposed on opposite sides of the vacuum head 39 and mounted on theouter ends of pins 56 carried in the head.

Hence when the slide plate I2 moves through a forward or feeding stroke(toward the right as viewed in Fig. 4), the cam plates 5! move forwardwith the slide plate and-the cam rollers 55 on the vacuum head ridealong the lower cam edges 54. These lower cam edges 54 for, about onehalf of their length, extend parallel with the line of travel of theslide plate l2-and during the latter half of their length are sharplinclined toward the upper'camedges 53.

Thus during the forward travel of the slide plate I2, the vacuum head 39remains stationary for about one half the travel'of the'plate. Duringthe second half of the plate travel, the vacuum head 39 is lifted towardthe stack 0 and the vacuum cup 31 is brought into engagement with thelowermost sheet D in the stack'as shown in Fig. 6. During this liftingof the vacuum head 39 the portion of its stem #4 which has the vent port48 moves up into thebearing sleeve 45 and thus covers or closes the ventport and this creates a vacuum in the cup 31 thereby causing the cup toadhere to the lowermost sheet D.

As soon as the slide plate [2 reaches the end of its forward stroke, itstarts back through its return stroke. During this return stroke the camrollers 55 on the vacuum head 39 ride along the upper cam edges 53 ofthe cam plates 5i. These edges gradually slope downwardly toward thelower edges 54 and near the lower edges, abruptly change into a steepslope which terminates the movement of the cam rollers. Thus as the camrollers 55 follow these sloping edges 53, the suction cup 3'! and thelowermost sheet D clinging thereto by virtue of the vacuum within thecup, move down gradually away from the stack C, thus separating thesheet from the remainder of the stack. The serrated members 35 insurethat only one sheet is separated from the stack and thereby prevent thefeeding of doubles.

The suction cup 31 carries the separated sheet D down into engagementwith a pair of spaced and parallel stroke or feed bars 58 having aplurality of spaced depressible feed fingers or dogs 59. These feed bars58 extend longitudinally of the slide plate 12 and are secured to theplateadjacent the plate cams 5| so that they move with the slide platel2. The suction cup 31 deposits the sheet D onto the feed bars 58 infront of the first pair of feed dogs 59 just as the slide plate 12 nearsthe end of its return stroke and as the cam rollers 55 reach the steepslope in the cam edges 53 in the plate cams 5 I. At this same time inthe cycle of operation, the vent port 48 in the vacuum head stem 44becomes uncovered or open by virtue of the stem 44 moving downsufliciently to expose'the port. Thus the vacuum in the cup 31 is brokenand the cup moves rapidly away from the sheet D, leaving the sheet inplace on the feed bars 58 as shown in Figs. 4 and 7. This completes onecycle of operation of the slide plate l2. .During the next reciprocationof the slide plate [2, the sheet D which has been deposited on the feedbars 53 is engaged by the first set of feed fingers 59 and is advancedone step, which is the distance or stroke of travel of the slide plate.During this advancement the vacuum head 39 remains stationary ashereinbefore explained until the sheet D is clear of the path of travelof the cup 31 and then the head and its cup moves up to engage andseparate the next sheet in the stack as just explained. The sheet Dduring its advancement is guided along a straight line path of traveltoward the lower stationary die E by a pair of spaced and parallel guiderails 6| fastened to spacer blocks 62 (Figs. 2 and 5) secured to theframe I I.

The sheet D is advanced between a hold down bar 64 (Fig. 4) and a table65. One end of the table is secured to the frame block 42. Its oppositeend is supported in a notch in the lower die E. The hold down bar 64 isprovided with spring pressed pins 66 (Fig. 4) which engage in back of anadvanced sheet D and hold it against return with the feed bars 58 duringtheir return stroke. The hold down bar 64 is frictionally held againstthe advanced sheet D by adjustable compression springs 61 interposedbetween the bar and a retaining member 68 located above the bar andextending transversely of the frame I I. The outer ends of the memberare secured to the frame.

Thus as each sheet D is separated from the stack C by the suction cup 31and is pulled down into position on the feed bars 58, the feed dogs 59engage behind the separated sheet and advance it through a plurality ofidle stations and thence feed it into the lower stationary die E Whereit is operated upon by the upper movable punch F for cutting a can partor other article therefrom as hereinbefore mentioned, The cut outportion of the sheet D falls through the lower die E to any suitableplace of deposit while the scrap portion left in the die is ejected inthe usual manner, this later operation forming no part of the instantinvention.

In such a feeding mechanism, the timing of the separation andadvancement of the sheets D in respect to the movement of the upperpunch F of the press B is precisely effected through the medium of theslide plate 12, the plate being actuated by connection with the punchhead H and being the common carrier of the feed bars 58 and the suctioncup actuating cam plates 5| provides a simple, self-contained andcompact unit which may be readily attached or removed from the press Bwith a minimum of effort.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advan= tages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine forholding a stack of sheets, a reciprocable slide plate disposed adjacentsaid magazine, a suction cup movable at substantially right angles tosaid slide plate toward and away from said stack for separating sheetsindividually from said stack, a feed bar carried on said slide plate forreceiving a separated sheet from said suction cup and for advancing italong a prede termined path of travel, cam means operable by said slideplate and operatively connecting with said suction cup for moving saidsuction cup toward and away from said stack, said cam means having a camsurface for moving said cup toward said stack during the latter portiononly ofthe feeding stroke of said feed bar and a second cam surface formoving said suction cup away from the stack on the return stroke of thefeed bar.

2. In a sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a frame, areciprocable slide plate carried in said frame, said slide plate havingan actuating rack connected therewith, a driving gear rotatably mountedin said frame and meshing with said rack for reciprocating said slideplate, a magazine mounted on said frame adjacent said slide plate forholding a stack of sheets, gripper means mounted in said frame adjacentsaid magazine and movable toward and away from said stack for separatingsheets individually from said stack, cam means carried on said slideplate and movable therewith, follower means mounted on said grippermeans and operable by said cam means for moving said gripper meansrelative to said stack in timed relation with the reciprocation of saidslide plate, said cam means having a surface engageable with saidfollower means to move said gripper means toward said stack during theforward stroke of said reciprocable slide plate and a second surfaceengageable with said follower means to move said gripper means away fromsaid stack for separating a sheet therefrom, and feeding means carriedon said slide plate for receiving a separated sheet from said grippermeans and for advancing it along a predetermined path of travel.

3. A portable sheet feeding mechanism, comprising in combination aportable frame attachable to a machine for effecting an operation uponsheet material, a reciprocable slide plate carried in said frame, slideplate reciprocating means mounted in said frame and connectible with amoving part of said machine for reciprocating said slide plate in timedrelation with said ma chine, a magazine mounted on said frame adjacentsaid slide plate for holding a stack of sheets, gripper means mounted insaid frame adjacent said magazine and movable toward and away from saidstack for separating sheets individually from said stack, cam meanscarried on said slide plate and movable therewith, follower meansmounted on said gripper means and operable by cam surfaces on said cammeans for moving said gripper means relative to said stack in timedrelation with the reciprocation of said slide plate, one of said camsurfaces moving said gripper means toward the stack during a portion ofone stroke of said slide plate, and another of said surfaces moving thegripper means away from the stack on the other stroke of each completereciprocation of said plate, and feeding means carried on said slideplate for receiving a separated sheet from said gripper means and foradvancing it'along a predetermined path of travel.

4. In a sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine forholding a stack of sheets iniasubstantially vertical position, grippermeans located beneath said magazine and vertically movable toward saidstack for engaging the lowermost sheet in the stack and for separatingit from the stack, a reciprocating feed bar movable in a horizontalplane beneath said magazine, said feed bar having feed dogs for feedingthe sheet separated bysaid gripper means, cam and follower means mountedon and operatively interconnecting said feed bar and said grippermeansfor controlling the relative movements of said bar and grippermeans, and means for reciprocating said feed bar through a forwardfeeding stroke and thence through a return stroke, said cam and followermeans having a cam surface in operative engagement with the followerduring a portion only of said forward feeding stroke of the feed bar toraise said gripper means the stack and a second cam surface in operativeengagement with the follower during said return stroke ofthefeedbarfordrawing down the lowermost sheet from the stack anddepositing it in front of a said feed dog, said feeddog on the forwardstroke of said feed bar engaging and advancing said separated sheetalong a predetermined path of travel.

HARRY BAKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 672,148 Green Apr. 16, 1901 1,395,232 Kronquest Oct. 25, 19211,689,756 Swangren Oct. 30, 1928 1,953,761 Krug Apr. 3,1934 2,335,064Kabel Nov. 23,1943 2,358,742 Sickles Sept. 19, 1944 2,441,876 FleischMay 18, 1948

